Amyema miquelii

Amyema miquelii, also known as box mistletoe,[2] is a species of flowering plant, an epiphytic hemiparasitic plant of the family Loranthaceae, found attached to several species of Australian eucalypt and occasionally on some species of Acacia. It is the most widespread of the Australian Mistletoes, occurring mainly to the west of the Great Dividing Range. It has shiny leaves and red flowers arranged in groups of 3. It is distinguished from the similar Amyema pendula through the individual stalks of the flowers.

Amyema miquelii
Amyema miquelii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Loranthaceae
Genus: Amyema
Species:
A. miquelii
Binomial name
Amyema miquelii
(Lehm. ex Miq.) Tiegh.[1]
Collections data for A. miquelii from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium

The seeds are dispersed by various birds, particularly by the mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) that eat the fruit and then either wipes the sticky remains from the beak or when defecating has to wipe it from its feathers onto, most often, a twig due to the extremely sticky nature of the seed.

The seed immediately begins to germinate and soon penetrates the vascular system of the tree and creates a physiological connection with the Xylem of the new host. From that point, the seedling begins to obtain water and mineral nutrients from the host.[3]

References
  1. "Amyema miquelii". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  2. Watson, David (2011). Mistletoes of Southern Australia. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing. p. 199. ISBN 9780643100831.
  3. Barlow, Bryan (21 August 2008). "What is a mistletoe ?". Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian National Botanic Gardens, Australian Government. Retrieved 9 November 2011.


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